🔥 Top Stories
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit the United States in September for a state visit, the first in more than a decade. US President Donald Trump stated that he and Xi will meet three additional times this year. The visit reflects both nations' efforts to seek stability amid their intensifying rivalry.
Africa's CDC confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in Congo's remote Ituri province on Friday, with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths recorded to date. The majority of cases are concentrated in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones. The highly contagious Ebola virus spreads through bodily fluids including vomit, blood, and semen. Cross-border emergency meetings have been convened to address the outbreak.
US President Donald Trump concluded his three-day visit to China on Friday, marking the first visit by a US leader in nine years. The trip was originally scheduled for March but postponed due to the Iran war. Following Trump's departure, Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit on Wednesday for a one-day trip, making it the first time Beijing hosts leaders from both superpowers in the same month. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also scheduled to visit.
US President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping again on Friday, the final day of his Beijing trip. The two leaders are expected to hold a private discussion over tea and a working lunch. This meeting marks the last significant engagement of Trump's current visit to China.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Trump held a summit in Beijing. The two leaders were welcomed with an elaborate ceremony at the Great Hall of the People before conducting talks. The first day's agenda included formal negotiations and a state banquet, with both sides expected to discuss multiple issues. The summit has drawn significant attention regarding bilateral relations.
🏛 Politics
During his state visit to Beijing, US President Trump and Chinese officials discussed artificial intelligence guardrails and Nvidia's H200 chips. Trump stated both sides talked about potentially collaborating on AI guardrails, describing them as standard safeguards. The approval status of Nvidia H200 GPU shipments to China remains a key point of negotiation between the two nations.
Thirty-four European states, plus Australia, Costa Rica, and the EU announced Friday they will join a special tribunal for Ukraine to prosecute Russia for its invasion launched in February 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an accord with the Council of Europe last year to establish a legal body to prosecute the crime of aggression. The Council of Ministers, comprising foreign ministers from the organization's 46-member states, has approved the initiative.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit the United States in September for a state visit, the first in more than a decade. US President Donald Trump stated that he and Xi will meet three additional times this year. The visit reflects both nations' efforts to seek stability amid their intensifying rivalry.
Africa's CDC confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in Congo's remote Ituri province on Friday, with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths recorded to date. The majority of cases are concentrated in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones. The highly contagious Ebola virus spreads through bodily fluids including vomit, blood, and semen. Cross-border emergency meetings have been convened to address the outbreak.
US President Donald Trump concluded his three-day visit to China on Friday, marking the first visit by a US leader in nine years. The trip was originally scheduled for March but postponed due to the Iran war. Following Trump's departure, Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit on Wednesday for a one-day trip, making it the first time Beijing hosts leaders from both superpowers in the same month. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also scheduled to visit.
Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party is evaluating raising defense spending to as much as 5 percent of GDP, aligning with many NATO member states. This shift reflects pressure from US President Trump and deteriorating security conditions in the Indo-Pacific region, marking a major departure from Japan's long-standing policy of keeping defense spending near 1 percent of GDP.
US President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping again on Friday, the final day of his Beijing trip. The two leaders are expected to hold a private discussion over tea and a working lunch. This meeting marks the last significant engagement of Trump's current visit to China.
As President Trump visits China amid US-Iran conflict disrupting global energy supplies and heightening economic uncertainty, the relationship between the two powers faces renewed strain. This report examines the intensifying legal arms race between the US and China, exploring how rivalry, interdependence, and geopolitical crises are reshaping their relationship and the challenges global businesses face navigating rising trade tensions.
Michael Banks, head of the US Border Patrol, announced his resignation Thursday through a Fox News interview, confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security. The agency, responsible for securing US borders, has been increasingly utilized by the Trump administration for immigration enforcement operations in American cities. This resignation marks the latest leadership change among officials implementing the administration's immigration policies.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Trump held a summit in Beijing. The two leaders were welcomed with an elaborate ceremony at the Great Hall of the People before conducting talks. The first day's agenda included formal negotiations and a state banquet, with both sides expected to discuss multiple issues. The summit has drawn significant attention regarding bilateral relations.
💰 Finance
The International Monetary Fund has commended Hong Kong's economic resilience, noting sustained recovery despite economic activity remaining below pre-Covid levels. The IMF also warned of downside risks from escalating geopolitical tensions and urged Hong Kong to pursue medium-term financial reforms, including introducing a goods and services tax, to stabilize and strengthen public revenue.
US President Donald Trump increased investments in Apple and Nvidia during the first quarter of 2026, according to financial disclosures released by the US Office of Government Ethics on Thursday. The investment timing coincides with a high-profile business delegation to Beijing, where CEOs from both companies participated. The disclosure raises questions about potential conflicts of interest between Trump's personal investments and official government activities.
Hong Kong's first land sale in the current financial year attracted six bids, including submissions from the city's largest developers, indicating a more confident outlook for the residential property market. The Tung Chung Town Lot No 54 tender closed Friday noon, with Sun Hung Kai Properties submitting a solo bid and Kerry Properties and Sino Land submitting a joint offer.
Stephen Miran has resigned from the US Federal Reserve Board of Governors, facilitating the leadership transition to incoming chair Kevin Warsh. Analysts indicate his departure is unlikely to alter the Fed's policy direction. Miran, a former top economic adviser to President Trump, has sparked speculation about his next move, with market watchers debating whether he will return to the White House or re-enter the private sector.
Lofter Group and an affiliated company face High Court action by Earth Core Holdings for allegedly breaching guarantor obligations in two bond subscription agreements, with damages claimed at HK$130 million (US$16.6 million). This lawsuit emerges days after the developer's founder's sudden death this week, adding to mounting legal challenges facing the embattled property company.
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers including BYD and Leapmotor are actively seeking to acquire idled assembly facilities in Europe, targeting assets from major automakers like Stellantis and Volkswagen. As global energy crisis drives surging demand for battery-powered vehicles, Chinese carmakers leverage their design and manufacturing capabilities to become international competitors, reshaping the global automotive industry landscape.
The 2022 Foundation, founded by Fung Group chairman Victor Fung, released a 216-page report recommending Hong Kong transition from being a "superconnector" to a "super value-adder." The report emphasizes strengthening Hong Kong's position in global supply chains and aligning with national development strategies amid geopolitical and technological shifts to drive the city's next phase of economic growth.
Canada's International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu confirmed the country is pursuing separate free-trade agreements with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Philippines. The proposed pacts would span sectors including mining and manufacturing, helping Asean expand its economy while enabling Canada to reduce dependence on the US and advance mutual economic diversification.
China's renewal of US beef import licenses has prompted concern from Brazil's government, which warns the move could reshape competition in its largest beef export market. A senior Brazilian official expressed anxiety about the decision's potential impact on domestic cattle prices. China is Brazil's primary beef market, and the existing quota system already limits Brazil's competitiveness in this crucial sector.
US authorities are moving to resolve fraud charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, who is Asia's richest person. The Justice Department may announce dismissal of charges as early as this week, according to people familiar with the matter. The Securities and Exchange Commission is simultaneously moving to settle a parallel civil fraud case. The criminal case has hung over Adani for more than a year.
💻 Technology
The global AI boom is pushing overseas foundries to shift production toward high-margin AI chips and high-bandwidth memory, creating a shortage in mature-node semiconductors. Zhao Haijun, co-CEO of China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), stated that AI demand has directly driven power-management and other mature-node capacity into shortage, redirecting customer orders to Chinese foundries.
Stephen Lin Er Chow, a physicist from the National University of Singapore, has relocated to Zhejiang University after designing a copper-free superconducting oxide capable of high-temperature superconductivity. At 27, Chow published his groundbreaking findings in Nature last year, marking the first top-tier publication from the NUS lab in two decades. He confirmed his full-time position at Zhejiang University, citing appreciation for Hangzhou's living environment.
China's National Space Administration announced that the Zhurong rover successfully landed on Mars in May 2021 after seven months of space travel and three months in orbit, making China the third country globally to safely land a rover on Mars. Named after the Chinese god of fire, the rover completed the critical landing phase of its mission.
Researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China published results in Nature on May 13, demonstrating that their latest photonic quantum computer, Jiuzhang 4.0, significantly outperforms the world's fastest classical supercomputers. This achievement represents a major milestone in China's advancing quantum computing programme and strengthens the nation's pursuit of quantum supremacy.
🌏 International
US President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a summit in Beijing lasting two hours and fifteen minutes. Trump stated the dialogue was "extremely positive and productive." Xi issued a strong warning on Taiwan, cautioning that mishandling could lead to "collision and even conflict" between the two nations. Trump received high-level reception and repeatedly praised Xi as a "great leader."
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned during the Trump-Xi meeting that mishandling the Taiwan issue could push US-China relations into dangerous territory. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry responded that the People's Liberation Army's harassment and threats in the first island chain and surrounding Taiwan waters represent the sole risk to regional peace and stability.
Ukrainian officials reported that Russia conducted its largest-scale aerial attack since the war began over the past two days, deploying more than 1,500 unmanned drones to bombard the capital Kyiv and other cities. This attack represents a record-breaking scale since the conflict started, posing significant threats to Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.
Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed to U.S. President Trump on the 14th that the Taiwan issue is the "most important question," warning that mishandling it could lead to collision and conflict between the two nations. Xi highlighted that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the greatest common ground between China and the United States.
US President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held bilateral talks on the 14th, achieving five preliminary outcomes: increased Chinese purchases of US goods, potential relaxation of chip restrictions, establishment of a managed trade mechanism, consensus on Iran situation, and mutual reduction of 30 billion dollars in tariffs on goods. An official joint statement has not yet been released.
US President Trump visited China for a three-day state visit, his first in nine years. On the 14th, Trump held a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, discussing the Russia-Ukraine war, Middle East conflicts, bilateral trade, and Taiwan. After the talks, Trump toured the Temple of Heaven and attended a state banquet hosted by Xi in the evening.
Cisco disclosed a critical vulnerability CVE-2026-20182 affecting Catalyst SD-WAN Controller and Manager systems. The company's Product Security Incident Response Team discovered limited attack activity this month. Cisco's threat intelligence team Talos confirmed that threat actors are actively exploiting this zero-day vulnerability in targeted attacks.
F5 released a security advisory on May 13 disclosing a critical vulnerability (CVE-2026-42945) in Nginx web server, affecting the ngx_http_rewrite_module component. The vulnerability, which has persisted for 18 years in the asynchronous event-driven framework, has now been patched by F5 to address potential security risks.
Cisco disclosed CVE-2026-20182 on May 14, a critical vulnerability affecting Catalyst SD-WAN Controller and Catalyst SD-WAN Manager (formerly SD-WAN vSmart and vManage) with a maximum CVSS score of 10.0. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an alert the same day, ordering federal agencies to apply patches within three days to prevent exploitation.
US President Trump visited China and held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Both sides agreed to build a "constructive strategic stable relationship," with focus on addressing trade and technology tensions. Tech leaders including Elon Musk and Jensen Huang accompanied the delegation, highlighting economic cooperation as the summit's core agenda.
US President Trump's first visit to China in nine years marks a significant turning point in bilateral relations. The US aims to establish direct coordination mechanisms amid intensifying global economic, security, and technological competition, while pressing China to open its markets. Trump's delegation of major tech companies including Tesla and Apple reflects the complex dynamics of US-China technological cooperation, with Taiwan remaining a critical negotiation issue.
Iran has expanded its designated combat zone in the Strait of Hormuz to ten times the size prior to US-Iran tensions, threatening global energy supplies. The US Navy has deployed a carrier strike group to maintain freedom of navigation, facing significant deployment costs and personnel risks. Experts warn that the era of free and low-cost transit through the critical energy chokepoint has ended, with the strait facing unprecedented disruption risks.
US President Trump stated on the 15th aboard Air Force One that he refused to directly answer a question posed by Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding whether the United States would defend Taiwan if China attacked it. Trump did not disclose his specific position and indicated he was unwilling to discuss the matter in detail.
US President Trump stated his patience with Iran is gradually diminishing. During talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Xi agreed that Tehran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This reflects the US hardline stance toward Iran and efforts to secure Chinese support on Middle East issues.
US President Trump concluded his China visit on Friday, revealing during his return flight that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed US military sales to Taiwan during their Beijing talks. Xi directly asked whether the US would defend Taiwan if the PLA attacked, but Trump refused to answer. Trump stated he made no commitments to Xi on Taiwan and will soon decide on a 14 billion dollar arms sale package to Taiwan.